VOA · Words and Their Stories
Advanced · C1learner speed4:152024-11-07public domain
Words and Their Stories is VOA's classic program about American English expressions and idioms — where phrases like 'break the ice' come from and how to use them. Native-like idioms in slow, clear speech: a rare combination for learners.
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01And now, words and their stories from VOA Learning English.
02Laws help to keep society running smoothly.
03They help to keep things in order.
04So, when we talk about law and order, we are talking about how crime should be kept under control and how society should run.
05The term law and order includes how police enforce laws and how the judicial system deals with criminals.
06Law and order also describes a situation where most people respect and obey laws.
07They want to feel safe and to have a sense of public order.
08Sometimes people use the term to describe a political candidate.
09For example, if a city has problems with crime, candidates for public office might run a law and order campaign.
10They promise to put policies in place that reduce crime.
11Now, when we talk about catching criminals, we can use another expression.
12The long arm of the law.
13This describes the ability of police to find and catch people who commit crimes.
14It further describes the power of law enforcement and the legal system to punish criminals and carry out justice.
15So, the long arm of the law is the far-reaching power of police and the legal system.
16For example, criminals who are on the run are unlikely to escape the long arm of the law forever.
17If they make one mistake, they might get caught.
18Now let's talk about non-criminals.
19Sometimes people might do things that they do not know are illegal.
20For example, a prank or practical joke played on a friend might seem harmless.
21But in the eyes of the law, it might actually be illegal.
22When we say, in the eyes of the law, we mean what a law actually says, and how people who enforce the law understand it.
23That leads us to another expression.
24Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
25If we are ignorant of something, we don't know about it.
26However, simply not knowing if an action is illegal doesn't matter in the eyes of the law.
27The long arm of the law will still reach out and uphold the law.
28Then we might find ourselves on the wrong side of the law.
29And that's a bad place to be.
30Being on the wrong side of the law means we have broken a law.
31Or worse, laws.
32So, if we want to be upstanding, law-abiding citizens, and avoid the long arm of the law, we should stay on the right side of the law.
33And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
34Until next time, I'm Ana Mateo.
35The End of the Law
// transcribed with Whisper AI — reading it is easy; catching it by ear is the skill
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